1- u. en en

The campus community biweekly

April 5, 2001, vol. 1, no. 7

Sloan grant furthers brain studies Mark Wheeler

Continuing its support of Caltech 's efforts to unravel the workings of the most com­plex structure in our world-the human brain- the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation has awarded an additional grant of $400,000 to support the Institute's Sloan-Swartz Center for Theoretical Neurobiology.

The center was established in 1994 w ith a $1 .4 million grant from Sloan. Its goal was twofold: to develop a new field of study called theoretical neurobiology, and to train the next generation of neuro­scientists. Given the brain 's complexity, with its hundred-billion-plus nerve cells, each capable of forming connections with literally thousands of other cells, it was recognized that understanding how the bra in functions required an increasingly sophisticated research approach.

Neurobiology is the study of the brain and nervous system in humans and other animals. Theoretical neurobiology allows Caltech scientists and students to share

see Sloan, page 6

A global salute to humankind's future

Zane Crawford

The hum of machinery droned on all around him, incessantly.

"Are you bored?" a voice squawked through the headset.

" I could bear it a little better if there were some music," the young man joked.

Soon the omnipresent hum became a deafening roar, the young man was crushed back into his seat, and a blinding light streaked into the sky above the steppes of central Asia . After a few min­utes the quiet abruptly returned, and the force of his acceleration was replaced with a euphoric weightlessness. The young man looked out his one tiny win­dow. The luminous bluish arc of Earth's limb stretched across his field of view.

"I see Earth ... it's so beautiful!" One hundred eight minutes later, the

young man was once again above the plains of the Soviet Union, and soon to be immortalized as the first human to ven­t ure into the endless star-filled sea of space.

His name was Yuri Gagarin. The date was April 12, 1961-40 years ago next Thursday.

Gagarin, who was also a fighter pilot, was tragically killed when his MiG-15 trainer crashed seven years later, but his name may well be recognized after the political leaders of the 20th century have

see Yuri's Night, page 6

Students launch undergrad journal

Javier Marquez

In the world of academia, "publish or perish" is the mantra by which careers live or die. Such a mindset is most perva­sive in the upper echelons of academia that Caltech inhabits. This need has en­compassed nearly every level of research .

Generally, investigators submit their research findings in the form of sober, technical papers to journals like Science and Nature. The reputation of these jour­nals is nonpareil, and having their editors select one's submission is a definite career coup. It confers status on scien­tists, enhances their reputations outside their home institutions, and affirms the worth of their research.

This reward system has not gone un­noticed by the youngest researchers. The pressure to publish is no longer restricted to researchers, graduate students, and postdocs- the community that is essen­tially obligated to publicize its work. Now undergraduates are feeling the pressure as well.

In response, as well as from the desire to produce a publication that is both enlightening and entertaining, a group of students has founded the Caltech Undergraduate Research Journal, whose inaugural issue premieres this week.

"Caltech has an enormous undergradu­ate research program. It's fitting that Caltech also have a premier undergraduate research journal," said Lakshminarayan "Ram" Srinivasan, CURJ's indefatigable editor-in-chief. "The journal can give them a perspective of what other undergrads are doing in the labs and foster a culture of undergraduate research."

A junior majoring in electronic and computer engineering, Srinivasan, along with a cadre of like-minded students at Caltech and the Art Center College of Design, decided that there was a need among his fellow undergraduates for a professional and widely distributed outlet for their research.

see CURJ, page 2

The cover of CURJ's premiere issue features an article by Dinkar Gupta on a computer algorithm that interprets hand gestures as commands.

1- 1- u. en

Star tour

AI Gore and his daughter Sarah tour Caltech's W. M. Keck Observatory in Hawaii during a visit March 28. They were later joined by Tipper Gore at a dinner with observatory staff and visiting astronomers.

Autism is focus of BioForum Nobody is calling it an epidemic, but the numbers are certainly alarming . Today, four out of every 1,000 children are diag­nosed with autism, a dramatic shift from 20 years ago, when the disorder was diag­nosed in one of every 2,500 children. Why the change?

Knowledge about the etiology of autism is scant. What is known is that autism is a disorder that strikes at the normal develop­ment of the brain . It is called a spectrum disorder because different symptoms manifest themselves in a variety of combi­nations and differing degrees of severity.

A disorder that strikes in early child­hood, autism negatively affects a child's areas of communication, social interac­tion, and play. It also impairs the senses and contributes to behavioral disorders. Typically, these symptoms persist with the autistic person for life.

Caltech is inviting the public to its gath­ering of four of the top autism researchers in the United States for the 2001 Biology Forum, which is titled "Autism: Decipher­ing the Puzzle." This group includes Eric Courchesne, a professor of neurosciences at the UC San Diego School of Medicine; Edwin H. Cook Jr., director of the labora­tory of developmental neuroscience and deputy director of child and adolescent psychiatry at the University of Chicago; Catherine Lord, director of the develop-

mental disorders clinic at the University of Chicago; and Karin B. Nelson, senior in­vestigator at the National Institute of Neu­rological Disorders and Stroke, a division of the National Institutes of Health. Los Angeles Times science writer Robert Lee Hotz will moderate the panel.

Some believe that childhood vaccina­tions are to blame for the increase in the cases of autism, while others suspect that its origin lies in genetic mutations, viruses, toxic chemicals in the environment, or abnormal bra in chemistry. The BioForum investigators will discuss the results of their research into autism and related developmental disorders.

Cook specializes in the neurobiological aspects of early childhood psychopathol ­ogy. He is conducting molecular, genetic and psychopharmacological studies of autism and other childhood onset d isor­ders. Courchesne is utilizing brain imag­ing and conducting neurological testing on 200 autistic patients and nonautistic control subjects as part of a longitudinal study. His lab also measures cognitive function in autism and has begun investi­gating the genetics of the disorder.

Lord's work examines the links between diagnosis, assessment, and treatment of children with severe psychological disor­ders, including autism and pervasive de­velopmental disorders. Nelson studies the

see Bioforum, page 2

2 Caltech 336, April 5, 2001

NewsBriefs Crouching student, kicking staff member

Caltech Shorinji Kempo club members show their stuff at a recent demonstration. From left are Sean Mau~h '96 •. a graduate student in applied and computational math; Ben Hebert, grad student in applied phys1cs; M1sha Pesenson, senior research engineer for SIRTF; and Gina Chu, former aeronautics staff member.

Honors and awards Wolfgang Knauss has been named the Theodore von Karman Professor of Aeronautics and Applied Mechanics, effective April 1. This title replaces that of professor of aeronautics and applied mechanics.

William Goddard, Charles and Mary Ferkel Professor of Chemistry and Appl ied Physics, has been selected by the Southern Californ ia Section of t he American Chemical Society to receive the Richard C. Tolman Medal. The medal will be for­mally awarded at the Athenaeum on April 19.

Richard Roberts, assistant professor of chemis­try, has received a Presidential Early Career Award fo r Scientists and Engineers " for his innovative combinatorial method of selecting and designing protein motifs that specifically recognize biologi ­ca lly important RNA structures." The award recog­nizes outstanding young professionals at the outset of their independent research careers, providing up to five years of grant support. He has also been selected as an Alfred P. Sloan Research Fellow.

David Rutledge has been named the Kiyo and Eiko Tomiyasu Professor of Electrical Engineering. Effective April 1, this title replaces that of profes­so r of electrical engineering.

Personals Births

Paul Patterson, professor of biology, and his w ife, Carolyn Patterson, a med ia computing analyst with Caltech's Digital Media Center, have welcomed their f irst child, Paul Clair, born on January 31 . He is the grandnephew of fo rmer Caltech professor of geochemistry Clair Patterson.

New Positions

Thomas Palfrey, professor of economics and political science, became executive officer for the socia l sciences on March 1.

Diane Sharp became director of investment administration in the Caltech Treasurer's Office on March 15. She will oversee the investment admin­istration of Caltech's investment assets, which have grown to $2.2 billion, and include a $1 .4 billion endowment portfolio; she will also be responsible for the Treasurer's Office information management systems and all Treasurer's Office operations. Sharp holds a bachelor's degree in finance f rom the University of Nebraska and an MBA in finance from Georgia State Un iversity, and she comes to Caltech from Emory University, where she served as manager of endowment administration.

Deaths

Alex Flores, a groundskeeper with Physical Plant, died March 25; he was 48. He had worked at Caltech since 1987 .

Nelson Nash to judge art Denise Nelson Nash, director of Caltech's Office of Public Events, has been selected as one of six judges for the 27th District in the annual Congres­sional Arts Competition for high school students. Nash's extensive experience in the arts commu­nity also incl udes stints as executive director of Pasadena's Cultural Planning Division and as director of the Plaza de Ia Raza School of Perform­ing and Visual Arts, as well as volunteering with numerous programs in the San Gabriel Valley. She holds an MFA from the University of Michigan.

" The goal of the Congressional Arts Competi ­t ion is to encourage and recognize the rich artistic talents of young Americans," said Congressman Adam Schiff, who is calling for entries from each of the district 's 25 high schools. The judging will take place at the Congressional District Spring Arts Festival, at the Alex Theater in Glendale, on May 7.

CURJ, from page 1

Because of the natu re of undergradu­ate life, w ith its required courses and heavy workload, most students must wait for the summer break to join an ongoing lab experiment. Alt hough t hey can also dedicate a few hours to it every week during the school te rm, t heir accomplish­ments on a longitu dina l study, although important, are lim ited.

" The students' research m ay not be immediately publishable in a mainstream journal because of its restricted scope," Srinivasan said. " CURJ can act as a con­duit fo r undergrads to show their work and its sc ient ific context. Our journal is there to highl ight the best work that undergrads are producing with a style that is engaging to the casual reader."

Before he started, Srinivasan did some resea rch- forensics, as he called it-into the research jou rnals produced by students at other colleges, including Harvard's Journal of Undergraduate Sciences, MIT's Undergraduate Research Journal, and the online Journal of Young Investigators. He decided that accessible writ ing and produc­tion values would make CURJ stand out.

" We've placed a great emphasis on production qual ity," he said. A rt Center College of Design student Aniko Hullner Grau, whose work as art director repre­sents her sen ior thes is, developed the distinctive CURJ logo, design, and layout. The pages are eye-catch ing and profes­sional, a far cry from the unfo rtunate term-paper look and clumsy design of many student publications, and some professional ones.

Above all , Srin ivasan emphasized that the journal would have a broad appea l that extends beyond the resea rch commu­nity and students. The selected articles will emphasize good writi ng and attrac­tive design. In fact, the journal will most resemble an art magazine. The CURJ staff will also launch a Web version of the journal , which can be viewed at www.curj .caltech.edu/.

Although the f irst issue's printing is on a lim ited scale- the f irst run totals under 4,000 copies-free copies will be distrib­uted throughout Caltech and JPL, as well as UCLA, MIT and ot her universities that encourage undergraduate research . As is true with Science and Nature, publication in CURJ will be a feather in the author's cap.

"It's a bonus if you publ ish as an under­grad. It shows that you have research potential, " Srin ivasan said . " However, the main idea is not to further ca reers but to cultivate a culture of research."

The CURJ staff com prises about 16 undergraduates from Caltech and Art Center, who worked in team s in charge of content and of online and print publ ica­t ion. Several nonstudents served as advi­sors, including Carolyn Merkel and Ryan Tischler of the student-facu lty programs office; Gillian Pierce, the coordinator of Caltech 's undergraduate science w rit ing requ irement; and Steve Madden, t he graphics advisor at Art Center.

Srinavasan added t hat many people contributed to the creation of CURJ. Con­tent editors Mike Russo and Robb Rutledge led the creat ion of the jou rnal's written style, and online editors Jonathan Dama, Dylan Simon, and Robert Christy engineered the online publication.

•

Caltech to showcase British artists

Jill Perry

Caltech's Outdoor Art Space will present an evening of f ilm, video, and sculpture by Artlab, an alternative art program at Impe­rial College of Science, Technology, and Medicine in London, on Saturday, April 14.

The outdoor screening will feature the work of 20 British artists brought to­gether by Charlotte Cullinan and Jeanine Richards, London-based filmmakers and artists who operate Artlab. Cullinan and Richards will also build a "cinema sculp­ture" at the Outdoor Art Space and show a film that they made in Los Angeles last year as part of the exhibition.

The show, entitled Cry/awn, will open at 6 p.m. with a reception followed by the film screening. The sculpture, which will remain on view until June 17, will feature a large, double-decker "800," indicating a perfect SAT score. According to Cullinan and Richards, "The SAT is the educational sieve everyone in America passes through and is judged by." Over the past few years, the two artists have made a series of temporary structures throughout Eu­rope that function as cinemas, and the sculpture at the Outdoor Art Space will also function as a screening area.

Besides Cullinan and Richards, artists whose films and videos will be shown include Edwina Ashton, Runa Islam, Ellen Cantor, Fabienne Audeoud, Sarah Staton, Emma Donaldson, Leigh McCarthy, Jes­sica Voorsanger, Peter Lewis, Janette Parris, Louis Nixon, Kevin Francis Gray, and the artist known as Bob and Roberta Smith, as well as collaborations by Frances Owen and Paul Romans, Jo Soughan and Simon Pendleton, and Jo Soughan and Georgie Hopton.

The Outdoor Art Space is located be­hind the campus recycling center on South Holliston Avenue between San Pasqua! Street and Del Mar Boulevard.

•

Bioforum. from page 1

natural history and etiology of childhood neurological disorders, and has recently centered her research on analytic epidemi­ology and the biomarkers of cerebral palsy and autism.

The BioForum is a yearly forum for discussion of issues in biology of major public interest. Initiated in 1995, the BioForum has shed light on such topics as AIDS, Alzheimer's disease, stem cell research, and mental illness. This year's event will take place on Friday, April 20, at 8 p.m. in Beckman Auditorium.

In addition, the Mettler Autism Sympo­sium will be held the following day from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., in Beckman Institute auditorium. Generously sponsored by Caltech trustee Ruben Mettler, the sympo­sium will comprise sessions by the previ­ous day's panelists, plus additional speakers Patricia Rodier of the University of Rochester; Susan McConnell, Stanford; Karl Herrup, Case Western Reserve Uni­versity; lan Lipkin, UC Irvine; and Paul Patterson, Caltech professor of biology. A complete schedule can be found online at http://atcaltech.caltech.ed u/calendar/ item.tcl?calendar_id=15301 .

Both events are free and open to the public; no tickets or reservations are required, but early arrival is suggested. For more information on the BioForum, call 395-4652 or 1 (888) 2CALTECH, e-mail events@caltech .edu, or visit the Caltech Public Events Web site at www.events.caltech.edu . Individuals with a disability can call 395-4688 (voice) or 395-3700 (TDD). For more information on the symposium, contact Floreen Rooks at 395-8428 or rooksf@caltech .edu .

•

the a eadem i c week at Ca I tech is a printed version of selected events from the online@Caltech calendar,

http://atcaltech.caltech.edu/calendar/. To publish events online, register as an event planner on the @Caltech calendar. If unable to submit electronically,

please call (626) 395-3630. For further information or a schedule of deadlines, call (626) 395-3630, fax (626) 449-2159, write 336 Calendar, 1-71, California

Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, or e-mail debbieb@caltech.edu.

April 9-15, 2001 Events in roman type are open to the public

Events in italic type are open to the Caltech community only

Monday, April 9

Aeronautics Seminar 101 Guggenheim Laboratory, Lees­Kubota Lecture Hall, 1 p.m.-"UAVs: An Aerospace Barometer for the Informa­tion Revolution," Dr. Michael Francis, Lockheed Martin Corporation.

Norman Davidson Lecture Baxter Lecture Hall, 4 p.m.-"Shaping the Genome: RNA Splicing and RNA Interfer­ence," Phillip A. Sharp, institute professor and founding director of the McGovern Institute for Brain Research, MIT. Refresh­ments, 3:45 p.m.

Geological and Planetary Sciences Seminar 155 Arms, Robert Sharp Lecture Hall, 4 p.m.-"Meteorite Density and Asteroid Structure," Brother Guy Consolmagno, Vatican Observatory, Italy, and Steward Observatory, University of Arizona. Re­freshments, 151 Arms, 3:45p.m.

Applied and Computational Mathematics Colloquium 306 Firestone, 4:15 p.m.-"Macroscopic Equations for Population Dynamics from Microscopic Models of Individual Behav­ior: The Bacterial Example," Hans Othmer, professor of mathematics, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities. Refreshments, 204 Firestone, 3:45p.m.

Astronomy Tea Talk 106 Robinson, 4:15p.m.-Topic to be announced. Douglas Finkbeiner, depart­ment of astronomy, UC Berkeley.

Tuesday, April 10

Caltech Library System Presents Sherman Fairchild Library, multimedia conference room, noon to 1 p.m.-"Quick Review: Accessing Full Text Journals and New Online Databases." Learn how to access full text journals via SFX and new databases to enhance your research. No reservations required. Information: http:// I i bra ry.ca I tech .ed u/lea rn i ng/defa u lt. htm.

Ulric B. and Evelyn L. Bray Seminar 25 Baxter, 4 p.m.-"Corporate Board Composition, Protocols, and Voting Be­havior: Experimental Evidence," Ann Gillete, Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta. Refreshments.

Carnegie Observatories Colloquium William T. Golden Auditorium, 813 Santa Barbara Street, 4 p.m.-"MODS: A Multi­Object Double Spectrograph for the Large Binocular Telescope," Richard Pogge, associate professor, department of astronomy, Ohio State University. Information: 577-1122.

Chemical Physics Seminar 147 Noyes, Sturdivant Lecture Hall, 4 p.m.-"Organic Radicals, Reactive Intermediates, and Transition States: Spectroscopy on the Reaction Coordi­nate," W. Carl Lineberger, professor of chemistry and biochemistry, University of Colorado, Boulder.

General Biology Seminar 119 Kerckhoff, 4 p.m.-"Functional Genomics in Neuroscience, the Search for Novel Transmitters," Professor Olivier Civelli, department of pharmacology, UC Irvine.

Wednesday, April 11

Biolunch Seminar 24 Beckman Labs, noon-" First Steps Toward Calcium Imaging In Vivo in the Locust Antenna! Lobe," S. Sarah Farivar, graduate student in biology, Caltech; and "In Vivo Analysis of Ubiquitin-Dependent Degradation of Sic1," Nazli Ghaboosi, graduate student in biology, Caltech.

Caltech Library System Presents Sherman Fairchild Library, multimedia conference room, noon to 1 p.m.-" Quick Review: Accessing Full Text Journals and New Online Databases." Learn how to access full text journals via SFX and new databases to enhance your research. No reservations required. Information: http:// I i bra ry.ca !tech .ed u/lea rn i ng/defa u lt. htm.

Mathematical Physics Seminar 351 Sloan, noon-"lnverse Elasticity," James Ralston, professor of mathematics, UCLA. Information: www.math.caltech. edu/events/mathphys.html.

Astronomy Colloquium 155 Arms, Robert Sharp Lecture Hall, 4 p.m.-"Starbursts and Their Winds: The Big Picture," Professor Timothy M. Heckman, department of physics and astronomy, Johns Hopkins University.

Geology Club Seminar 151 Arms, Buwalda Room, 4 p.m.-" Alternating Contraction and Extension Recorded in North Himalayan Gneiss Domes: Implications for the Tectonic Evo­lution of Southern Tibet," Jeff Lee, associ­ate professor, department of geological sciences, Central Washington University. Information: www.gps.caltech.edu/semi­nars/geoclub/geoclub.html.

1- u.

Neurobiology Seminar 24 Beckman Labs, 4 p.m.-"Functional Diversity among Pyramidal Cells in a Watermaze Memory Task," Edvard Moser, professor of biological psychology, Nor­wegian University of Science and Tech­nology, Trondheim, Norway; and "The Contribution of Area CA3 to Spatial Memory Processes in the Hippocampus," May-Britt Moser, associate professor of biological psychology, Norwegian Uni­versity of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway.

Earnest C. Watson Lecture Series Beckman Auditorium, 8 p.m.-" Under­standing the World, One Molecule at a Time," Stephen Quake, associate profes­sor of applied physics, Caltech. Informa­tion: 395-4652, 1 (888) 2CALTECH, or events@caltech.edu. Individuals with a disability: 395-4688 (voice) or 395-3700 (TDD).

Thursday, April 12

Caltech Library System Presents Sherman Fairchild Library, multimedia conference room, noon to 1 p.m.-"Quick Review: Accessing Full Text Journals and New Online Databases." Learn how to access full text journals via SFX and new databases to enhance your research. No reservations required. Information: http:// I i bra ry.ca !tech .ed u/lea rn i ng/defa u lt. htm.

Biochemistry Seminar 147 Noyes, Sturdivant Lecture Hall, 4 p.m.-"Folding Mechanisms of RNA," Sarah A. Woodson, professor of biophys­ics, Johns Hopkins University.

Olin Seminar 25 Baxter, 4 p.m.-"Torts and Authority: An Economic Analysis of Medical Mal­practice," Jennifer Arlen, visiting profes­sor of law, Caltech. Refreshments.

Physics Research Conference 201 E. Bridge, 4 p.m.-" Focusing in the Hard X-ray Band: A New View of the High­Energy Universe," Fiona Harrison, assis­tant professor of physics and astronomy, Caltech. Refreshments, 110 East Bridge, 3:45p.m.

Friday, April 13

Caltech Library System Presents Sherman Fairchild Library, multimedia conference room, noon to 1 p.m.-"Quick Review: Accessing Full Text Journals and New Online Databases." Learn how to access full text journals via SFX and new databases to enhance your research. No reservations required. Information: http:// I i bra ry.ca !tech .ed u/1 earning/default. htm.

Fluid Mechanics Film Series 306 Firestone, 1 p.m.-"Waves in Fluids," prepared by Professor Arthur Bryson, Harvard University.

Fluid Mechanics Seminar 101 Guggenheim Laboratory, Lees-Kubota Lecture Hall, 3 p.m.-"Boundary Layer Resolved Measurements of Unsteady Separation," Manooch Koochesfahani, professor of mechanical engineering, Michigan State University. Information: www.galcit.caltech.edu/Seminars/Fiuids/ CurrentFiuids/ index.html .

Galileo Meets Venus Seminar Series 24 Beckman Labs, 4 p.m.-Topic to be announced. Professor David Freedberg, department of art history and archaeol­ogy, Columbia University. Presented in collaboration with the Art Center College of Design. Information: http://hss.caltech. edu/-steve/galileo_meets_venus.htm.

lnorganic-Organometallics Seminar 151 Crellin, 4 p.m.-"Role of Ligand Sub­stitution in Metalloprotein Folding," Jennifer Lee, graduate student in chemis­try, Caltech.

Science, Ethics, and Public Policy Seminar 25 Baxter, 4 p.m.-" Freedom in the Digi­tal Environment: Property, Commons, and the Institutional Ecology of Informa­tion," Dr. Yochai Benkler, professor of law and director of the Information Law Insti­tute, New York University. Refreshments. Information: www.hss.caltech.edu/ses/ SEPP.html.

the a cad em i c week at c a It e c h is a printed version of selected events from the online @Caltech calendar,

http://atcaltech.caltech.edu/calendar/. To publish events online, register as an event planner on the @Caltech calendar. If unable to submit electronically,

please call (626) 395-3630. For further information or a schedule of deadlines, call (626) 395-3630, fax (626) 449-2159, write 336 Calendar, 1-71 , California

Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, or e-mail debbieb@caltech.edu.

April16-22, 2001 Events in roman type are open to the public Events in italic type are open to the Caltech community only

Monday, April 16

Aeronautics Seminar 101 Guggenheim Laboratory, Lees­Kubota Lecture Hall, 1 p.m.-Topic to be announced. Ken Nealson, faculty associ­ate in geobiology and environmental engineering science.

Geological and Planetary Sciences Seminar 155 Arms, Robert Sharp Lecture Hall, 4 p.m.-"Cryohydrovolcanism and the Recent Appearance of Liquid Water on Mars," Eric Gaidos, research associate, Caltech. Refreshments, 151 Arms, 3:45p.m.

Applied and Computational Mathematics Colloquium 306 Firestone, 4:15 p.m.-"Exponential Asymptotics and Linear and Nonlinear Eigenvalue Problems," S. J. Chapman, Moore Distinguished Scholar, Caltech. Refreshments, 204 Firestone, 3:45 p.m .

Tuesday, April 17

Caltech Library System Presents Sherman Fairchild Library, multimedia conference room, noon to 1:30 p.m.-" A Quick Review of Information Resources for HSS Staff." Review the content and use of subscription databases for humani­ties and social sciences. Registration: http://l i bra ry.ca I tech .ed u/lea rn i ng/ form.htm.

Ulric B. and Evelyn L. Bray Seminar 25 Baxter, 4 p.m.-"Optimal Asset Loca­tion and Allocation with Taxable and Tax-Deferred Investing," Chester S. Spatt, Mellon Bank Professor of Finance, and director, Center for Financial Markets, Graduate School of Industrial Adminis­tration, Carnegie Mellon University. Re­freshments.

Carnegie Observatories Colloquium William T. Golden Auditorium, 813 Santa Barbara Street. 4 p.m.-"Detection of Brown Dwarfs and Dust Disks about Nearby Stars with NICMOS and Keck AO," Eric Becklin, professor of astron­omy, UCLA. Information: 577-1122.

Chemical Physics Seminar 147 Noyes, Sturdivant Lecture Hall, 4 p.m.-" Adding Quantum Effects to Classical Molecular Dynamics Simula­tions via the Semiclassical Initial Value Representation," William H. Miller, professor of theoretical chemistry, UC Berkeley.

Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology Seminar 119 Kerckhoff, 4 p.m.-" Mass Spectrom­etry and Proteomics: New Approaches to Identifying Protein in Mixtures," John Yates, associate professor of cell biology, Scripps Research Institute.

Wednesday, April 18

Mathematical Physics Seminar 351 Sloan, noon-"On the Quantization of Functional Analysis," Edward Effros, professor of mathematics, UCLA.

Astronomy Colloquium 155 Arms, Robert Sharp Lecture Hall, 4 p.m.-"Consequences of Massive Star Feedback in Star-Forming Galaxies," Dr. Sally Oey, assistant astronomer, Lowell Observatory.

Molecular Mechanisms of Disease Seminar 24 Beckman Labs, 4 p.m.- "Kinase Inhibi­tor Therapy for Cancer," Charles Sawyers, associate professor, department of hema­tology and oncology, School of Medicine, UCLA.

Organic Chemistry Seminar 147 Noyes, Sturdivant Lecture Hall, 4 p.m.-"Reengineering DNA Struc­tures and Functions," Professor Eric T. Kool, department of chemistry, Stanford University.

Thursday, April 19

Physics Research Conference 201 E. Bridge, 4 p.m.-" Imaging Coher­ent Electron Flow," Professor Robert Westervelt, Division of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University. Refreshments, 110 East Bridge, 3:45 p.m.

Robert W. Vaughan Lecture in Chemical Engineering 106 Spalding Lab, Hartley Memorial Seminar Room, 4 p.m.-" Active Con­trol of Surfactants," Professor Nicholas L. Abbott, University of Wisconsin­Madison. Refreshments, 113 Spalding Lab, 3:30 p.m. Information: www.cheme. caltech.edu/seminars/seminars.html.

Von Karman Lecture Series Von Karman Auditorium, JPL, 7 p.m.­" Infrared Astronomy: More Than the Eyes Can See," Dr. Michelle Thaller, astronomer, Space Infrared Telescope Facility, JPL. Admission is free. Informa­tion: www.jpl.nasa.gov/lecture/.

1- u.

Friday, April 20

Fluid Mechanics Film Series 306 Firestone, 1 p.m.-" Aerodynamic Generation of Sound," prepared by John E. Ffowcs Williams, professor of engineer­ing, University of Cambridge, and the late Professor M. J. Lighthill.

Fluid Mechanics Seminar 101 Guggenheim Laboratory, Lees-Kubota Lecture Hall, 3 p.m.-"Formation and Near-Field Dynamics of a Wing-Tip Vortex," Lavi Zuhal, graduate student, Graduate Aeronautical Laboratories, Caltech. Information: www.galcit.caltech. ed u/Sem ina rs/FI u ids/Cu rrentFI u ids/ index.html.

Institute for Quantum Information Seminar 102 Steele, 3:30 p.m.-"Chaos, Decoher­ence, Measurement, and the Quantum­Classical Transition," Salman Habib, Los Alamos National Laboratory.

lnorganic-Organometallics Seminar 151 Crellin, 4 p.m.-"Synthesis and Study of Ansa-Niobocene Olefin Hydride Complexes," Lily Ackerman, graduate student in chemistry, Caltech .

LIGO Science Seminar 155 Arms, Robert Sharp Lecture Hall, 4 p.m.-" Resonant Detection of GW-Waves Using Radiation Pressure Instabilities," Malik Rakhmanov, postdoctoral scholar,

University of Florida.

William Bennett Munro Memorial Seminar Judy Library, 110 Baxter, 4 p.m.-"Evo­lutionary Modules: Conceptual Analyses and Empirical Hypotheses," Robert Brandon, professor of philosophy and biology, department of philosophy, Duke University. Refreshments.

Von Karman Lecture Series Pasadena City College, 1570 E. Colorado, the Forum {south of Colorado on Bonnie), 7 p.m.-" Infrared Astronomy: More Than the Eyes Can See," Dr. Michelle Thaller, astronomer, Space Infrared Telescope Facility, JPL. Admission is free. Informa­tion: www.jpl.nasa.gov/lecture/.

2001 Biology Forum Beckman Auditorium, 8 p.m.-" Autism: Deciphering the Puzzle." A panel of experts will examine this perplexing dis­order and discuss advances and develop­ments toward a cure. Admission is free. Cosponsored by San Gabriel Valley Newspaper Group. Information: 395-4652, 1 {888) 2CALTECH, or events@caltech. edu. Individuals with a disability: 395-4688 {voice) or 395-3700 {TDD). Visit Public Events at www.events.caltech .edu .

CampusEvents Monday, April 9 Quality Productivity Leadership Forum Ramo Auditorium, 8:30 to 11:30 a.m.-" Mercedes­Benz: Focusing on Business Excellence," Bill Taylor, president and CEO of Mercedes-Benz U.S. International. Information: www.irc.caltech .edu/ forums.htm . Registration and tickets: 395-3921 or qplf@caltech.edu.

Badminton Brown Gymnasium, 9:30a.m. to noon-Bring your own racket. Information: 355-6158.

Baby Furniture and Household Equipment Pool 234 S. Catalina, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.-Loans of kitchen and household necessities and baby furniture are made to members of the Caltech community. Information: 584-9773.

Ballroom Dance Club Winnett lounge, 7:30 to 9:30 p.m.-American tango for beginners. Second of five weekly les­sons taught by a professional instructor. No part­ner or experience is required. $4 per class for Caltech undergraduates, $6 for others. Refresh­ments. Information: 791-3103 or www.its.caltech. edu/-ballroom/index.html.

Ballroom Mini Dance Party Winnett lounge, 9 to 11 p.m.-Open dancing; make requests or bring your own music. Refreshments. No admission charge and no partner needed. Information: 791 -3103 or www.its.caltech .edu/-ballroom/index.html.

Tuesday, April 10 Baseball at Pasadena City College, 2:30p.m.

Wednesday, April 11 Baby Furniture and Household Equipment Pool 234 S. Catalina, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.-Loans of kitchen and household necessities and baby furniture are made to members of the Caltech community. Information: 584-9773.

FOCAL Spring Luncheon Athenaeum, Hall of Associates, 11:30 a.m.­The Friends of Caltech Libraries annual spring luncheon will feature author Nicholas Clapp, who will speak on the magic of myth. Fee: $25 for FOCAL members, $28 for nonmembers. Registration and information: 395-6411 or mcbride@library.caltech.edu.

Ballroom Dance Club Winnett lounge, 7:30 to 9:30 p.m.-East Coast swing for beginners. Second of five weekly classes. No partner or experience is required. Free for Caltech freshmen, $1 per class for others. Refreshments. Information: 791-3103 or www.its.caltech .edu/- ballroom/index.html.

Thursday, April 12 Caltech Y Friends Dinner Location to be announced, 6:30 p.m.-For 35 years, Friends' contributions have provided a financial core for theY to enable students to learn how they can make a difference in the world. Fee: $40. Reservations and information: 395-6163 or caltechy@caltech .edu. Visit the Friends' Web page at www.y.caltech .edu/friends/.

Yuri's Night-L.A. Party Hollywood Palace, corner of Vine Street and Holly­wood Boulevard, 9 p.m. to 2 a.m.-Celebrate the 40th anniversary of Yuri Gagarin's historic trip into space with a night of dance and house music with a spacebound twist. Information: 395-6981, zane@yurisnight.net, or http://la.yurisnight.net/. Fee: $10 until April1, $15 after April4, $20 at the door. Tickets: (800) 464-2275.

Friday, April 13 Caltech Easter Egg Hunt Location to be announced, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.-An Easter egg hunt for the children of the Caltech Community. If you are interested in helping, call 395-6163.

Badminton Brown Gymnasium, 9:30a.m. to noon-Bring your own racket . Information: 355-6158.

Folk Music Society Presents Priscilla Herdman Dabney Lounge, 8 p.m.-Herdman finds out­standing, little-known songs and sings them in a wonderful soprano voice. Admission is $12 for adults and $4 for children and Caltech students. Tickets and information: 395-4652, 1 (888) 2CALTECH, or events@caltech.edu . Individuals with a disability: 395-4688 (voice) or 395-3700 (TDD). Visit Public Events at www.events. caltech.edu.

Saturday, April 14 Men's and Women's Track and Field SCIAC four-way meet, at Occidental College, 11 a.m.

Ballet Dance Class Braun Athletic Center, aerobics room, 1 to 4 p.m.-A free ballet class, sponsored by the Caltech Dance Troupe. Beginners: 1 to 2 p.m. Intermediate: 2 to 3 p.m. Advanced: 3 to 4 p.m. No special clothing or shoes are required for the beginners' class. Open to all adult members of the Caltech community. Information: 395-2508 or troupe@caltech.edu .

New British Films at Caltech Art Space Caltech Outdoor Art Space, 6 to 8 p.m.-An evening of film, video, and sculpture by Artlab, an alternative art program at Imperial College of Science, Technology, and Medicine in London. Information: 395-6803, 395-4248, mrogers@ caltech.edu , or dustin@mop.caltech.edu.

Caltech 336, April 5, 2001

Monday, April 16 Caltech Y International Week Events Locations to be announced, through April 20-Speakers, movie nights, cultural programs, inter­national sports day, noon events, and a food fair. Information: 395-6163. Visit the Caltech Y at www.y.caltech.edu/calendar/.

Badminton Brown Gymnasium, 9:30a.m. to noon-Bring your own racket. Information: 355-6158.

Baby Furniture and Household Equipment Pool 234 S. Catalina, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.-Loans of kitchen and household necessities and baby furniture are made to members of the Caltech community. Information: 584-9773.

Ballroom Dance Club Winnett lounge, 7:30 to 9:30 p.m.-American tango for beginners. Third of five weekly lessons taught by a professional instructor. No partner or experience is required. $4 per class for Caltech undergraduates, $6 for others. Refreshments. Information: 791-3103 or www.its.caltech.edu/ - ballroom/index.html.

Ballroom Mini Dance Party Winnett lounge, 9 p.m. to 11 p.m.-Open dancing; make requests or bring your own music. Refresh­ments. No admission charge and no partner needed. Information: 791-3103 or www.its.caltech. edu/- ballroom/index.html.

Wednesday, April 18 Baby Furniture and Household Equipment Pool 234 S. Catalina, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.-Loans of kitchen and household necessities and baby furniture are made to members of the Caltech community. Information: 584-9773.

Ballroom Dance Club Winnett lounge, 7:30 to 9:30 p.m.-East Coast swing for beginners. Third of five weekly classes. No partner or experience is required. Free for Caltech freshmen, $1 per class for others. Re­freshments. Information: 791-3103 or www.its. caltech.edu/-ballroom/index.html.

Friday, April 20 Badminton Brown Gymnasium, 9:30a.m. to noon-Bring your own racket. Information: 355-6158.

10th Annual Earth Day Fair Winnett quad, 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.-Exhibitors will include a number of environmentally aware groups and businesses. Singer Eleni Kelakos will perform from noon to 1 p.m. Food will be pro­vided by the Caltech Vegetarian Club. Sponsored by the Environmental Task Force and the Caltech Y. Information: cetfers@its.caltech.edu.

Baseball vs. Whittier College, 3 p.m.

2001 Biology Forum, "Autism: Deciphering the Puzzle" Beckman Auditorium, 8 p.m.-A panel of experts will examine the perplexing disorder of autism and discuss advances and developments toward a cure. Admission is free. Cosponsored by San Gabriel Valley Newspaper Group. Information: 395-4652, 1 (888) 2CALTECH, or events@caltech. edu. Individuals with a disability: 395-4688 (voice) or 395-3700 (TDD). Visit Public Events at www. events.caltech.edu.

Saturday, April 21 Caltech Y Volunteer Project-Union Station 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.-Y volunteers will help prepare and serve meals for 60 homeless men, women, and children. Information: 395-6163 or www.y.caltech.edu/volunteer/.

Baseball at Whittier College, 11 a.m., doubleheader.

Men's and Women's Track and Field Relays at Mount SAC, 11 a.m.

Ballet Dance Class

5

Braun Athletic Center, aerobics room, 1 to 4 p.m.­A free ballet class, sponsored by the Caltech Dance Troupe. Beginners: 1 to 2 p.m. Intermediate: 2 to 3 p.m. Advanced: 3 to 4 p.m. No special cloth­ing or shoes are required for the beginners' class. Open to all adult members of the Cal tech commu­nity. Information: 395-2508 or troupe@caltech.edu.

Jazz Festival Dabney Gardens, 2 to 6 p.m.-The Caltech jazz bands, directed by William Bing, will host an afternoon of jazz music in a great garden setting. Admission is free, but seating is limited, so please arrive early. Refreshments.

SoVoSo World Jazz A Cappella Beckman Auditorium, 8 p.m.-Originally assembled by renowned vocalist Bobby McFerrin, SoVoSo is a highly visual and imaginative a cappella ensemble that sings a compelling mix of jazz, gospel, rhythm and blues, world, pop, and improvisational music. Opening the show will be Caltech's own a cappella groups Ecphonema, Out of Context, and Treble Makers. Tickets and infor­mation: 395-4652, 1 (888) 2CALTECH, or events@ caltech.edu. Individuals with a disability: 395-4688 (voice) or 395-3700 (TDD). Visit Public Events at www.events.caltech.edu.

Sunday, April 22 Paco Lagerstrom Chamber Music Concert Dabney Lounge, 3:30 p.m.-Kathleen Mcintosh, harpsichord; Janice Tipton, flute; and Marlow Fisher, viola, will perform works by J. S., C. P. E., and W. F. Bach. Tickets and information: 395-4652, 1 (888) 2CALTECH, or events@caltech.edu. Indi­viduals with a disability: 395-4688 (voice) or 395-3700 (TDD). Visit Public Events at www. events.caltech.edu.

6

A window on the Caltech of yore

"In 1941, a bottle of soda cost 5¢, the deluxe kitchen made use of such new miracle materials as linoleum, and a home­maker could please her finicky family with the quintessence of haute cuisine-the frankfurter. Europeans, meanwhile, had weightier issues on their minds as anxiety mounted concerning Hitler's plans to in­vade Britain. In March of that year, Life Magazine published a photographic essay on Caltech."

So begins the introduction to a new Caltech Archives Web page-a high-tech tribute to the Institute of 60 years ago that combines the original Life article and photos with additional commentary from today's standpoint. The idea for the site came from Caltech Board of Trustees chairman Ben Rosen '54, who donated a copy of the March 17. 1941, issue to the Archives, with enthusiastic support from President David Baltimore.

The essay paints an idyllic portrait of Caltech's cutting-edge research intersect­ing with its educational and student life components, juxtaposing images of atom smashers and wind tunnel experiments with students taking exams and sleeping on the Athenaeum's open-air porch. "Only towards the end," writes the Archives staff, "does the article foreshadow the coming transformation of this pacific, intellectual campus into a super-efficient war machine."

The Web page was written and edited by Archives staff members Judith Goodstein, university archivist; Shelley Erwin, associate archivist; and Kevin Knox, historian; and designed by Glenn Smith '96. It can be accessed on the Archives site at http://archives.caltech.edu/ life_article/.

•

This photo's original Life caption noted, "Plain everyday poker provides exercise for Cal Tech wits and relaxation for brains. At times the intensity of undergraduate study is such that the faculty finds it necessary to intervene."

Caltech 336, April 5, 2001

Yuri's Night from page 1

faded from memory. Millennia from now, when our descendants inhabit many worlds, many islands in the vast black void, they will look back at Gagarin and know he was the first. Through skill, or luck, or chance of fate, he was the first of us to tread beyond our pale blue home.

April 12 has long been celebrated in Russia as a national holiday, Cosmo­nautics Day. This year, however, through the efforts of young space enthusiasts around the world, the celebration is spreading. The occasion will be marked on all seven continents, in more than 40 locations, some as remote as Burundi and Uzbekistan, and some as urban as Tokyo, London, and Los Angeles. The name of this celebration is Yuri's Night.

The festivities will take different forms, but the underlying themes are all the same. More than just a celebration of Gagarin, Yuri's Night is a statement of optimism about humanity's future in the universe. It is an attempt to bring space­space as a real place in which humanity's collective future lies-to the conscious­ness of a younger generation, the genera­tion that could contain the first people to walk on Mars, the first space tourists and successful space entrepreneurs.

Members of the Caltech community have been instrumental in organizing this worldwide event. Biology graduate stu­dent Loretta Hidalgo is one of its two cofounders, and Cynthia Collins, also a biology graduate student, is managing press relations. In addition, undergradu­ates Nathan Brown and Chris Hirata, and Zane Crawford '98, a staff member in geological and planetary sciences, are all working on technical aspects of the event. The entire Caltech community is invited to join the flagship Los Angeles celebration, either in person or in spirit, on Thursday, April 12. The party, featuring space­themed dance music, takes place from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. at the Hollywood Palace, 1735 Vine Street, Los Angeles (corner of Vine and Hollywood Boulevard).

Tickets are $15 before 10 p.m. on the 12th and $20 thereafter. Advance tickets are available online at http://la.yurisnight .net/nl/ticketsla.htm, or by phone from Sticky Tickets at (800) 464-2275. Thanks to generous funding by the GSC, Caltech graduate students will receive free admis­sion; tickets should be reserved at http:// Ia. yu risnight.net/nl/cit_g rad.htm. The event is 18 and over-please be sure to bring an ID.

Yuri's Night is a nonprofit event, with all proceeds to benefit local and global youth outreach and education programs. For more information, see the global and Los Angeles Yuri's Night Web sites at http:// www.yurisnight.net and http://la.yurisnight .net, or e-mail zane@yurisnight.net.

•

Caltech336 ....

The campus community biweekly April 5, 2001, vol. 1, no. 7

Editor: Daryn Kobata

"'

(626) 395-6240; daryn@caltech.edu Assistant Editor: Javier Marquez

(626) 395-6624; jmarquez@caltech.edu Calendar Administrator: Debbie Bradbury

(626) 395-3630; debbieb@caltech.edu Graphic Artist: Doug Cummings Photographer: Bob Paz Published by the Office of Public Relations

"' .... .... "' "'

California Institute of Technology Pasadena, California 91125

....

ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED

Catching long-lost family with the 'Net

Research tool, communication vehicle, guide to life: the Internet has the power to connect us to the information we need, quickly and cheaply. It also has the power to reunite families.

That's the happy surprise that Justin Martin got when he conducted a Web search on his own name. The physician living in Saudi Arabia was surprised­"gobsmacked,"as he put it-to find an extensive history of a branch of his family. The author was Christopher Earls Brennen, Caltech's vice president of student affairs.

"He managed to find a family history that I placed on the Web years ago," ex­plained Brennen, who grew up in the County Londonderry town of Magherafelt, in Northern Ireland.

Intrigued by his find, Martin sent a query e-mail to the site's creator. With that, Brennen and Martin, cousins who had known each other for only a handful of days during their childhood, got to meet each other again as adults.

Since then, Brennen has contacted and had a reunion dinner with Martin's sister Caroline. In an ironic twist, she has lived and worked in the Los Angeles area for decades and had even visited Caltech in the course of her job as an executive assistant at the Los Angeles Times. Through her, Brennen learned about a number of relatives who are living in distant parts of the world.

"Part of our cultural heritage is to travel the world and to emigrate," Brennen said. Leave it to technology and serendipity to bring some lucky members of this far-flung family a little closer together.

•

The jazz singer

Sloan. from page 1

ideas from two research perspectives, the theoretical and the experimental. Theo­rists use data from actual experiments to create detailed computer models of brain function or behavior. From this modeling, hypotheses are developed to make pre­dictions. Then, a researcher can design an experiment to physically test the theory.

At Caltech, the cross-pollination of these two approaches has led to greater understanding of such processes as tem­poral coding, the firing rate of neurons over time; neural representations, how the brain combines information from the vari­ous senses; and the neural mechanisms that underlie the human visual system.

The center has also successfully trained, or is in the process of training, 36 postdoc­toral and predoctoral students. These young scientists, who come from an array of fields that includes physics, mathemat­ics, and engineering, are working with senior neurobiologists, conducting research and learning experimental meth­ods. Currently, 70 percent of postdoctoral graduates have obtained faculty positions at various universities around the world.

The Sloan-Swartz Center for Theoreti­cal Neurobiology is led by Richard Andersen, Caltech's Boswell Professor of Neuroscience. The center is one of five that were established in 1994, with the others at Brandeis University, New York University, the Salk Institute, and UC San Francisco. The Sloan Foundation was founded in 1934 by Alfred P. Sloan, Jr., who was chief executive officer of Gen­eral Motors for 23 years. The foundation makes grants available for higher educa­tion and research in the fields of science, technology, economics, and public policy.

•

Kjerstin Easton '00, graduate student in electrical engineering, lends her rhythmic talents at a recent Caltech jazz bands concert.